The card game that changed my life Anonymous

For most of high school, I felt lost. While I was the brain in my elementary school classes, I no longer did well in school. My thoughts and self-image faded away, I lacked all ambition, and everything felt like a burden. I couldn’t stand the monotony and predictability of school and other activities and so I just didn’t put effort into anything.

It wasn’t until senior year that something utterly unexpected came into my life and gave it meaning – a card game called Magic: The Gathering. Though just a game, it is populated with countless creatures that have taught me some of the most important lessons in life: you’re more than your IQ, organization leads to less time wasted, seek knowledge whenever possible, balance work and play, and pursue your goals diligently.

I learned about Magic from a classmate named Richard, whom I started talking to at my parents’ friends’ home one evening. Richard had a GPA over 4.0 and when I asked him his secret, he said that he simply balanced his time. He pulled out a box and opened it to reveal hundreds of strange-looking cards. “This is called Magic: The Gathering,” he told me. “It helps.”

Almost immediately I was hooked. I found a small group of friends who played Magic and began the best few...